ACT International

Icarus provides residencies to companies led by marginalised groups. We are proud to announce that ACT International is Icarus' first! We provide advice and support for their producer, financial management of the accounts, and a small grant towards their production of Orlando Descends.
  • ACTOR -
  • CHORUS -
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ACT International is an original acting and voice training technique developed by Anna-Helena McLean over 20 years. "ACT" stands for Actor-Chorus-Text and represents an extraordinarily magnetic performance style. Weaving music, movement, and poetry, ACT training generates devised work from an instinctive, chorus-based vocal approach, and in direct response to the immediate surroundings and partners.
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Anna-Helena read Drama and Music at Royal Holloway University ofLondon with a specialism in solo cello and performance. She is an establishedmusic theatre and ensemble coach, composer and director, running her uniqueapproach to acting and voice training called the ‘Actor - Chorus - Text’ (ACT) Ensemble Practice since 2007. Now a world-class independent and feminist actor training methodology, ACT INTERNATIONAL runs out of an Italy-based centre (Centro Anidra) offering rigorous training programmes to international applicants every summer.

Formerly a principal of the Gardzienice Theatre Association in Poland (2000-2007), Anna-Helena played the lead in Metamorphoses & Electra and toured worldwide (LaMama ETC NYC; Meyerhold Centre Moscow; Getty Centre L.A; Barbican London) as well as leading an Ancient Greek Orchestra (Orkiestra Antyczna) and the Academy for Theatre Practices (APT) in Gardzienice. Anna-Helena is currently engaged as a Doctoral Candidate in Performance Practice at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and was most recently a Voice Tutor on the Acting Studies BA Hons course also at Guildhall. She is also a supervisor for MA students in Classical Acting at Central School of Speech and Drama and guest lectures at Rose Bruford College since 2020.